SSC Descriptive Writing Precis Writing SSC-CGL (TIER-III) - Passage on Malaria Eradication

PASSAGE ON MALARIA ERADICATION

The global fight against malaria is in "urgent need" of more funding, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday while releasing the latest World Malaria Report.

According to the report, there were 212 million new cases of malaria and 4,29,000 deaths worldwide in 2015. Further, nearly 78% of Plasmodium vivax malaria cases in 2015 occurred in just four countries' Ethiopia, India. Indonesia and Pakistan.

Despite the billions of dollars spent on malaria programmers, the U.N. health agency said too many people are missing out on available resources like medicines and bed nets that protect against mosquitoes that spread the disease.

WHO had set a goal of cutting malaria cases to "near zero" by the end of last year. It fell far short, and now is aiming to reduce malaria cases and deaths by at least 90 per cent by 2030. "We're far from having completed the job," said Dr. Pedro Atonso, director of who's malaria department. "The hardest is yet to come.'' Dr Alonso added that the gains could be hurt by a lack of funding, which had stagnated in the last six years, in the report, WHO has also expressed concern about the quality of data: the report said surveillance systems catch fewer than 20 percent of cases. The vast majority cases are in Africa. About 70 percent of deaths are in children under the age of five. Chris Drakeley, director of the malaria centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that even the incremental drop in malaria cases was significant. He noted that new approaches to fighting malaria like giving out medicines to children during high season to prevent infections were proving effective. Other experts said WHO should rethink its priorities when it comes to malaria spending. "They're looking at innovative ideas and investing in new tools like vaccines but they're missing the basics," said Sophie Harman, a public health expert at

Queen Mary University in London. Ms. Harman also questioned whether WHOs latest 2030 goal was realistic. "It has symbolic meaning that WHO is still committed to this," she said. "But probably nobody in public health thinks this is really achievable."

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THE MALARIA SHOCK

The latest WHO report on malaria mentioned the dire need of funding, since large number of deaths has been reported worldwide with majority of it concentrated in the four countries of Ethiopia, India, Indonesia and Pakistan. The target to eradicate malaria by last year, failed in spite of millions of dollars in funds, and this has made them revise the target to a 90% reduction by 2030. The money did not find its way to the poor as many didn't get even basic amenities. The organization also blames it on poor monitoring since only 20% of the cases get reported. This target is also held to be unrealistic by experts, since the spending is mostly in wrong places.

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that even the incremental drop in malaria cases was significant. He noted that new approaches to fighting malaria like giving out medicines to children during high season to prevent infections were proving effective. Other experts said WHO should rethink its priorities when it comes to malaria spending. "They're looking at innovative ideas and investing in new tools like vaccines but they're missing the basics." said Sophie Harman, a public health expert at Queen Mary University in London. Ms. Harman also questioned whether who's latest 2030 goal was realistic, "It has symbolic meaning that WHO is still committed to this," she said. "But probably nobody in public health thinks this is really achievable."